♪
STEVE BANERJEE: I do not want a gas station.
That was my dream when I came here.
I'm going to start my own business.
- The cowboys again? - It was better the first 10 times.
STEVE: [on phone] It's Steve. Banerjee?
NICK DE NOIA: What you really need is a dedicated choreographer.
- Done. - I could make the craziest shit
for this place.
Breakaway pants.
- We are hiring this woman.
- See that? The ice.
You're talking monthly lost revenue on the order of...
BOTH: $3,000.
- I'm an accountant.
- We could use an accountant.
STEVE: I hope I didn't overstep.
[indistinct chattering]
[phone line ringing] [horns honking]
♪ intense music playing ♪
[ringing]
WOMAN: [over speakers] Excuse me.
[women cheering]
I'd like to order.
Uh-huh
♪ Yeah, what would you like? ♪
♪ What would you like? ♪ [line ringing]
WOMAN: I want it young, hot and very, very spicy.
[cheering]
- Whooo!
IRENE BANERJEE: [on voicemail] This is Irene Banerjee.
Neither I nor Steve can come to the phone right now,
so leave your name, number, and the time you called
and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
[tone sounds] STEVE: Hello, Irene. I'm here.
Just thought I'd try to reach you before the funeral.
Alright, I hope everything's going smoothly over there in my absence.
Oh, make sure you refill the ice machine after closing.
It needs to freeze overnight. Tomorrow's Friday, as you know,
and we don't want to be short on our busiest night.
- Beautiful!
Yes, please!
- I think you're just so talented!
- Okay, I'll try again later.
I love you.
♪ dance music continues ♪
[cheering]
♪ Had no idea what was on her mind ♪
♪ Signed her name on the dotted line... ♪
- So fucking good!
- It is.
♪ dance music continues ♪
♪
[cheering]
[inaudible]
- Yeah! - Whoo!
[cheering]
♪ Sex ♪
♪ Young, hot and very spicy ♪
♪ Sex ♪
♪ '70s pop music playing ♪
♪
♪ soft music playing ♪
[subdued conversation]
[speaking Hindi]
- Cheese.
- You know, most parents would be extremely proud of me.
I've done so much.
I've made it.
♪
♪ disco music playing ♪
IRENE: Nick?
- Sorry, I'm just-- I just needed a quiet place.
- What's the matter?
[sighs]
That routine, it was just fucking incredible.
- "Room Service"?
- The spinning bed, the-the...
killer fucking custom-written song.
- So?
So, how the fuck am I gonna top it?
And if I do top it, how the fuck am I gonna top that?
- Well, you don't have to.
I mean, I think that was enough.
- You sound exactly like someone else I know.
- Oh, Nick, don't you worry about Steve, that's my job.
Nick. You are an artist.
I support you.
[scoffs]
- Thank you, that means a lot.
[sighs]
Now all I need is a fucking brilliant new routine.
- Well, you are the one and only Nick de Noia.
- No, no, I'm Sisyphus!
- Sisyphus? - Sisyphus!
- Ooh, who's Sisyphus?
- Fucking Sisyphus,
I'm forever doomed to roll the boulder up the hill,
only to have it roll back down again for all eternity.
IRENE: Nick. [Nick sighs]
In the two years that I have been here,
not once have you ever worried about coming up with a new dance number.
It'll come to you, like this did.
Look at that,
look at what you made out there. - Yeah.
- You should be celebrating. - Yeah.
- You made that magic, you'll make it again.
Yeah, you will. - Yeah.
- You should enjoy tonight!
Stop this, stop this worrying. - You're fucking right.
- I know. - What are you doing after work?
- Um, tonight? - Yeah.
- Like at one a.m.? - Uh-huh.
- I'm going to sleep.
- Like hell you are.
[Lipps Inc playing "Funky Town"]
DENISE COUGHLAN: How am I gonna dance with anybody else?
NICK: Oh, you'll find a way.
I'll have a Manhattan.
- Jose Cuervo, no salt.
- Coca-Cola, please.
- Ow!
We've needed to get out! - Yeah.
This place is great.
- DJ's great.
- I can't believe I'm here with you.
It's crazy, I'm never out this late!
- [chuckles] Well...
IRENE: So leave your name, number and the time you called,
and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
[tone sounds]
- Irene, where are you?
The show ended an hour ago.
You should be home by now.
Anyway, the funeral is over.
I haven't yet talked to my mom about the California idea.
I'm going to run it by her tonight, so...
I'll try again later.
I love you.
♪ disco music playing ♪
[indistinct chattering]
♪ I'm coming back ♪
♪ Coming back to you ♪
♪ To find my happiness... ♪
- Where is Nick?
- That didn't take long.
- Is he gay?
- Sometimes.
♪ You dropped a bomb on me ♪
- We are so lucky to have a genius like that in our midst.
- Yeah, well, two geniuses, you know, with...
Steve and that business brain of his and the things he comes up with.
- Three, three geniuses.
You, with your math.
I mean... - No.
- Take the compliment, you deserve it.
- Well, four, because of you, you with those costumes.
You are freaking amazing.
You are a real fashion designer. - Thank you.
- Yeah. - This calls for a celebration.
- Yeah.
Oh, um, is that...?
- Cocaine. - Ooh! Ooh!
- Wait, have you never done it? - No, I've never even seen it!
I've read about it in my Ladies' Home Journal.
Oh. Is this safe?
- [snorts] It's better than safe, it's fantastic!
- Okay. Oh, my God. [snorts]
[coughs]
Wow!
♪ disco music playing ♪
I love cocaine!
[Irene and Denise screaming]
[laughing]
♪ Oh, babe, we're gonna love tonight ♪
IRENE: What? ♪ Oh, babe... ♪
- I'll be right back. - Okay.
- Who are you?!
- I'm Lance.
- Hi, Lance. Think you wanna dance?
♪ music continues ♪ [Denise giggles]
Oh! Oh! Ooh! Oh, oh!
♪ Yeah, I'm gonna be with you ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Oh, babe ♪
♪ We're gonna love tonight ♪
♪ Babe, we're gonna love tonight ♪
♪ Oh, babe ♪
♪ We're gonna love tonight ♪
♪
[music fades]
[door creaking]
[beads rattling]
♪ contemplative music playing ♪
[printing machine clunking]
- Somen.
- Ma.
[Mrs. Banerjee speaks Hindi, laughs]
- California.
♪ contemplative music playing ♪
- I'm wealthy and successful.
I have more money than every member of our family put together.
[sighs]
[shuddering breaths]
[Denise sighs]
- Wow.
God.
Mmm. [Lance laughs]
Do you have one single flaw?
I mean...
Your arms...
And...
your stomach.
I could count these
and I wanna slice them.
[both chuckle]
And... mmm... your...
- Ohh!
- I mean...
Better take it easy with that, that's a weapon. Ooh!
It's like you were created in a laboratory.
[both chuckle]
- What? - Oh, my God!
No, I mean...
I'm getting... I'll be right back.
Nick.
[gasps] Nick!
Nick!
Sorry, honey. Nick. [Nick grunts]
I have the best fucking idea. - Ohh!
Oh! Oh! It better be fucking good.
- [laughs] Oh.
[The Sweet playing "Wig-Wam Bam"]
...how much living life one has in a given soul.
- Oh, my God. Yes. Because you want to get to them, right?
Want to really get to them, I feel like the ass is gonna do it.
- We have to remind them,
why did they come here? - Exactly.
- To get laid. All muscle. - Simple, start simple.
- Yeah. - But then like, then, then expand on it.
We're talking about the sharpness.
[laughing and indistinct chatter]
God! Yes, I love you.
Like the, the thunder doesn't have any experience.
He's like a newborn to the whole audience.
♪ Wig-wam bam, and she said ♪
♪ Wig-wam bam, gonna make you my man ♪ [Nick laughs]
DENISE: That's it!
[music ends]
[phone ringing]
[Irene groaning]
- Hello? STEVE: [on phone] Irene, hi!
Where have you been?
IRENE: [on phone] Steve, how is it going?
- Were you asleep?
- Um... What time is it?
- It's ten past 7:00 over there... PM.
- Oh, uh... [sipping, gulping]
I was taking a nap.
- A nap?
IRENE: Yeah, I was out pretty late last night.
- I was calling and calling.
- Um, me and Nick and Denise went out dancing.
Nick really needed to blow off some steam.
So, we went to this big crazy disco
and we danced for hours,
and we were out till almost 3 AM.
STEVE: You're serious?
- Yeah, yeah.
Oh, I... I tried cocaine.
- What? IRENE: Have you tried it?
- No, I've never done co-- cocaine.
- It's fun, I really recommend it.
- Who ga--
Who gave you cocaine? Was it Nick?
IRENE: Denise.
But Nick did a bunch too.
[indistinct crowd chattering]
DENISE: So?
- This is... - Fucking incredible!
Right?
- It is.
[laughing] - It is.
- It is! Come here. [laughing]
It is! Oh, my God! [excited squealing]
It so is! It's fucking gold! - [gasping] Oh!
Fuck it is! [laughing]
Ah... - Whoo!
- I mean, it's ambitious, Nick. - Very.
Very ambitious.
It-it-it-it stretches the limits of the form.
- I don't even know where it came from,
it just sort of, it poured out of...
[phone ringing] BOTH: Us.
- Screw me. - You and me, baby. You and me.
[line ringing]
NICK: This is Nick. DENISE: And this is his hot new roomie, Denise.
NICK: We can't come to the phone right now.
[phone beeps]
STEVE: You gave my wife cocaine?!
- We begin with a pulse.
♪ pulsating guitar strums ♪
Ah! An electric pulse
of anticipation, expectation
of what's to come! - Bom-bom. Bom-bom.
- Go, go, go, go through the yellow!
DRIVER: Alright. - Thank you.
- And then the sound of rolling thunder!
[drum roll]
Yes!
We're in a laboratory.
Somewhere in deepest eastern Europe.
♪ rock guitar ♪
- It's a laboratory. A professor, goggles...
A lab coat, in his laboratory, quite possibly mad.
[evil laughter]
Because he's hard at work on...
- An experiment!
RAY: Hey, morning.
- Who are you?
- I'm Ray. Who are you?
- Who--
I'm the owner.
- Oh, I thought that was the lady.
- What lady? - The blonde hair, skinny.
- Irene? - That's her, yeah, she hired me.
Fulltime handyman, Ray Colon at your service.
- Irene hired you? When did Irene hire you?
- Tuesday, Wednesday?
- And she hired you fulltime, you said?
- Forty hours a week.
I already fixed the ice machine, replaced all the tubing.
- The ice machine broke?
RAY: You was away.
Sound like you missed some things.
- Bruce! These are just the buttocks I've been searching for.
[all laughing] I must have them for my creature!
[drums playing]
- And Dr. Hunkenstein sneaks up behind Bruce...
scaring him and he cracks him over the head!
He's down! [Nick laughing hysterically]
[clapping, laughter] People are scared,
their hearts should be beating.
They're alive, they feel alive!
- Steve. Aw, you're home! NICK: Spotlight on the butt.
[Denise laughs] - How was your trip?
- It was good. What is this? - Oh, oh, it's the new number.
Uh, it's about a lovelorn mad scientist
who builds the ultimate male specimen
out of dismembered body parts.
Um, come, sit.
Uh, you know how Bruce
has the most amazing bubble butt?
Well, the scientist is gonna use Bruce's bubble butt
to build his creature. NICK: And now...
- Um, you'll see. DENISE: And then,
he takes out his trusty saw
and he begins to saw, [crashing band notes]
Bruce's buttocks off!
[evil laughter] Back to the laboratory...
on the slab!
Next to Otis's bulging biceps.
- Yes!
DENISE: Tony's sculptured chest.
Whooo!
And now it is time!
NICK: It is time!
- Scientist throws the switch!
- Pow! [plucking guitar notes]
- And with a blast of DC current,
he has formed the most perfect, flawless male specimen
anyone's ever conceived.
He is Dr. Hunkenstein's
manster!
♪ dramatic band music ♪
[Nick trilling]
Hooray for everyone. Oh! - I know. Orgasmic.
- What is-- What is happening here?
NICK: Oh, hey, Steve. - What is this?
- It's...
- Steve-- - It's called "Hunkenstein."
It's a three-part rock opera. - Rock opera.
Rock opera? NICK: Yes!
DENISE: We're pushing the limits of the form, Steve.
- And this is Omega Stone,
they're one of the hottest new bands in L.A.
They're-they're gonna record three--
- No. DENISE: No covers.
- What? What do you mean, no? - No.
All of this, no.
- No, no, no, I don't think you under-- - It is not respectable.
It is sick and demented.
- Oh, no, no, no. It's not-- - No, no, no. No.
There's a playfulness to it. - It's so sweet. Yeah.
It's got a tongue-in-cheek-- NICK: A tongue-in-cheek quality,
that, that, that undercuts the violence. - I do not know what that means.
- Well, you'll understand better when you see it.
- I don't want to see it, and I'm not going to see it.
[chuckles]
- Well, I am sorry to hear that, because we're doing it.
STEVE: No. No new dancer, no band, no rock opera.
- Excuse me? - No, we are not doing it.
- Look, Steve, you gave me-- - No, you look!
I am the boss, this is my club, and you are my employee!
You are all my employees, is that clear?
Is that clear?
Go!
NICK: Fuck!
- God. What a fucking--
- He's a fucking lunatic.
- I know. I--
- You know what, we should quit.
- What?
- We should fucking quit. We should start our own place.
- Uh, what are you talking about? - Our own club. Our own competing club.
Fucking drive him out of business.
- That's crazy, Nick. - What's so crazy about it?
- Because this club is thriving.
- Yeah, because of us!
The only thing that makes this place special
is what we bring to it, what we bring to it.
- Look, I know he's a pain in the ass.
- You know, we could poach the dancers.
They have no allegiance to him whatsoever, except maybe Otis.
- Hold on, he just came back from his father's funeral.
He's obviously in a mood. - Jesus Christ.
- So I just feel like we could reapproach "Hunkenstein" in a week
in like a week or two. - This isn't about "Hunkenstein"!
[sighs] Denise!
It's about... all of it,
the-the-the undermining,
the nickel-and-diming,
the fucking spending cap on props and fucking sets.
I mean, what was that that he said about the show, he said the show is...
- Sufficiently spectacular. - Sufficiently fucking spectacular.
I mean, what the fuck is that?
He doesn't care about the show, not like we do!
- Yeah. - No, all he cares about is
the fucking bottom line.
His bottom line.
- Well... let's just talk to him. - Fuck.
Oh, you think I haven't talked to him? You think I haven't tried?
There is no getting through to that man.
He's... he's fucking crazy!
[indistinct chattering]
- Severed limbs, monsters made of body parts?
- I don't know, I kind of like it. - That grotesque horror show?
- It's... It's stretching the limits of the form.
- Whose side are you on? - Steve, I'm not on anybody's side.
- I go away for a few days and suddenly you are with them?
- We're all on the same team. - Partying until dawn,
experimenting with drugs?
- We just went out dancing.
- And what's with you hiring a handyman, huh?
- It made sense, with the repairs
it was more cost-effective. - That is not the point.
- Then what is the point? - The point is,
you do not do the hiring around here, I do!
- What happened over there?
- Nothing.
- You're such a bad liar.
[knock on door]
- Hey.
Can we try again?
- Try what?
There's really nothing to say.
- About your father's funeral
and the first time you went home in six years?
You brought back all the Velveeta.
Steve.
[drawer opens]
You gotta let me in.
- To what?
- To what's going on in there.
- I have far fewer thoughts than you imagine.
- I don't believe that.
Hey.
Hey!
[drawer closes]
♪ dramatic music plays ♪
You're tough, I know that.
You don't have to be with me.
- This is silly.
- What is?
Talking, sharing things with your wife?
- Yes.
My father died, it's sad. What else is there to say?
- Hey.
Look at me.
- Where are you going?
- To watch TV.
Just let me know when you wanna be loved.
[door closes]
[slams table]
♪ disco music playing ♪
- Come on, guys, energy, please!
And five, six, seven, eight.
And chest, two, three, four, and pas de bourrée.
Pas de-- No, stop, stop, stop! What the hell are you doing?
How many times do I have to tell you, this is slow?
And pas de bourrée...
Pas de bourrée... RAY: You handled that well yesterday.
NICK: No, no, no. Let's take five, guys.
- Apex predator shit.
I see you. [chuckles]
- Thank you.
- These dudes, they don't understand the responsibilities
that come with being the boss.
You know, heavy is the head that wears the crown, am I right?
You gotta keep 'em in line.
Or they're gonna walk all over you.
- What did you say your name was again?
- Ray Colon, at your service.
- You do electrical?
- Electrical, carpentry, plumbing.
You know, whatever y'all need.
HVAC, auto repair, photography, kung fu.
- Kung fu? - I study it.
You know, enough to use it should the need arise,
which it does. [laughs]
Just from time to time.
It commands respect, you catch my drift?
- I don't.
- Where you from?
- India. - Yeah? I'm from the Bronx.
Arthur Avenue, by way of San Juan.
Don't come from much, don't have much.
I got family in PR, but...
never go.
- I just got back from Bombay.
RAY: Oh, yeah?
- My father, uh...
he died.
- Shit, man.
I'm, uh... sorry to hear that.
- It's okay.
He was sick.
- Did you say you do photography?
♪ dance music playing ♪
- Photography, shit, man.
I got a motherfuckin' Nikon.
♪
STEVE: There you go.
Oh, yes. Now, look at the woman.
And good, yes, yes. Look into the camera.
Okay, yes. RAY: Who's the king?
- Bruce is the king. RAY: Bruce. There you go. Okay.
- Don't smile. Be very serious.
RAY: There you go. That's so good.
- Twist your buttocks, face the camera a little bit.
Tuck in your buttocks, stand up straight.
♪ And I've given up hope... ♪
Okay.
What do you think, Ray?
- I think it was good. That raw energy, you know?
- Yeah, I feel it.
You look good, thank you.
Otis.
Let's make magic, my friend.
Ray! RAY: I'm comin', boss.
- That's it, hold that. Perfect. - Yeah, yeah.
♪ I'm so tired of losin'... ♪
- Okay. RAY: Oh, wonderful.
STEVE: Yes!
Now, yes, you are in the girl's house
and you are not married to her.
- This little alien, he's almost like a baby.
- Right, so adorable.
- And when he pointed his finger,
it lit up. - I know.
- I know! - What does that mean?
Is it-- It's magical.
- Well, it's the heart light coming through the finger, I think.
DENISE: Oh! [Nick laughs]
- I knew you'd love it.
Oh.
Hey, hey, Bobby, where is everybody?
- They're at Steve's.
- As in his house?
BOBBY: Yep.
- Um... [clears throat]
RAY: Okay. - There you go, that's your throne.
♪ Hey, everybody ♪
Arch your back.
RAY: Fucking sexy!
Ladies are gonna be flickin' their beans to this one, boss.
Ha, ha, ha! - What?
- What's that? - What did you say?
- Flickin' their beans.
- Is this a Spanish thing?
- Teach you later, how about that?
- Yes, put your toes in facing each other.
NICK: Here we are.
Could've fucking called.
[exhales sharply]
- What if Bobby was wrong?
- All the fucking cars are here.
Jesus Christ.
♪ distant music playing ♪
Fuck. I'm going around.
DENISE: Well, oh, oh, oh--
- Unbelievable. - How is he playing loud music
when he doesn't even smile?
- Here, give me a boost.
Yeah. Okay. - Ready?
One, two, three! [groans]
[grunting]
Oh shit. - You okay?
[Nick groaning]
[sighs]
NICK: I'll live.
- Oh, you--
- Yeah. [sniffles]
Goddamn it.
RAY: Right there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
- There you go.
That's it.
- Nick! I didn't know you were coming.
- That's it, more of that. RAY: You heard the man.
More of that, baby.
More of that right there. [Denise clears throat]
- You mind telling me what the fuck's going on?
- Oh, hey, Nick.
NICK: Hey! - We're making a calendar.
- A calendar!
Oh! [laughs]
- Is something the matter? - Actually, yes.
For starters, you pulled my dancers from rehearsal without informing me.
- Well, the other day-- - And second, you're doing a photo shoot.
- And? - Without my involvement.
- [scoffs] Why would I need your involvement?
- Are you fucking with me?
'Cause I genuinely can't tell sometimes.
- I'm not fucking with you.
- A calendar is something I should be involved in.
It's something that I should be in charge of.
- But merchandise is my domain.
- A calendar is not a fucking coffee mug. It's creative.
There's artistic choices involved: staging, lighting, wardrobe.
- We're doing all that, yeah. - Who the fuck is that?
Who's that? - Oh, that's Bradley.
- And who the fuck are they?
- Jason, Jason, Ethan.
- Well-- - You know, there are 12 months in a year.
- Yes, thank you. - So there are 12 months in a calendar.
And we only have six dancers.
- But they're not Chippendales.
- Yeah. Oh, neither are they.
But they're so handsome, who's going to complain?
- This is, this is fucking bullshit.
- That's bullshit. - This is bullshit!
- I'm sorry you feel that way.
Ah! Okay, could you step aside so we can finish the shoot?
- Are you fucking serious?
- Yeah, I mean, Bradley hasn't shot yet,
and one of the Jasons is still...
- Okay, yeah, you want me to step aside?
Yeah. NICK: Yeah.
I will step aside.
- I think we could just not...
You're smarter than this, Steve.
- Wonderful!
[sighs]
- You okay? - Wonderful work, everyone!
- Nick.
Uh... Wait a second! You can talk to me.
- Denise, just...
- Uh... [Nick screams]
Where are you going?
[tires squealing]
[indistinct conversations]
MAN: We're all set. Let's go. WOMAN: Thank you.
- Can you get me on the next flight to New York?
- One-way or round trip? - One-way.
- First class or coach? - First class.
- Smoking or not smoking?
- Oh, fucking smoking.
[Grand Master Flash playing "New York, New York"]
♪ New York, New York, big city of dreams ♪
♪ And everything in New York ain't always what it seems ♪
♪ You might get fooled if you come from out of town ♪
♪ But I'm down by law and I know my way around ♪
♪ Too much, too many people ♪
♪ Too much ♪
♪ Ha ha ♪
♪ Too much, too many people ♪
♪ Too much ♪
♪ Ahh! ♪
♪ A castle in the sky, one mile high ♪
♪ Built to shelter the rich and greedy ♪
♪ Rows of eyes, disguised as windows ♪
♪ Lookin' down on the poor and the needy ♪
♪ Miles of people, marchin' up the avenue ♪
♪ Doin' what they gotta do just to get by ♪
♪ I'm livin' in the land of plenty and many ♪
♪ But I'm damn sure poor and I don't know why ♪
♪ Too much, too many people, too much ♪
♪ Too much, too many people, too much! ♪
♪ A man's on a ledge, says he's gonna jump ♪
♪ People gather round, said, "He won't, he's just a chump" ♪
♪ 'Cause he lost his job, then he got robbed ♪
♪ His mortgage is due and his marriage is through ♪
♪ He says he ain't gonna pay no child support ♪
♪ Because the bitch left him without a second thought ♪
♪ He got nothin' to eat, no shoes on his feet ♪
♪ She even left his clothes out in the street ♪
♪ He keeps hearin' noises when he's at home ♪
♪ He always hears voices when he's all alone ♪
♪ His wife took the kids, the car and the crib ♪
♪ In this man's world, so much for women's lib ♪
♪ New York, New York, big city of dreams ♪
♪ But everything in New York ain't always what it seems ♪
♪ You might get fooled if you come from out of town ♪
♪ But I'm down by law, and I know my way around ♪